For many clubs and operators, the sole focus of efforts is on sales and profit – that’s sensible, right? There is, however, another more sustainable way to grow membership and build a more profitable business. Engaged and regularly attending members renew their memberships, refer their friends and promote their clubs – in fact, 93 per cent of Les Mills users have recommended their current facility to friends and family, compared to 84 per cent of other group fitness attendees and 76 per cent of gym attendees. So what’s the secret to achieving this sort of quasi sales force and increasing retention, member and user motivation and results?
The secret to success doesn’t involve lots of numbers and percentages. There’s one factor that will ensure class success, drive attendance, member results and motivation: Les Mills instructors. Keith Burnet, CEO of Les Mills UK, says of the instructor tribe: “Les Mills instructors come with a ready-made passion, energy and enthusiasm to motivate your members. Our instructors are the best of the best in the industry and have to meet very exacting requirements, both at the start of their journey and throughout.”
Initial training sets the standard: an intensive two days, along with minimum entry qualifications for all programmes, quarterly choreography and music updates. Instructors can benefit from ongoing training, including quarterly programme workshops and Advanced Instructor Modules, which focus on advanced technique training and specific programme coaching.
Instructors and trainers can also attend the Les Mills GFX Series, a fitness festival delivering Les Mills programmes to thousands of instructors and fans. Karen Armstrong, health & fitness co-ordinator for Falkirk Community Trust, says: “We launched our very first Les Mills programmes in 2013 with four key programmes: BODYPUMP, BODYCOMBAT, BODYATTACK and CX WORX. Our Les Mills account manager supported us in gaining qualified instructors, and in creating our timetable and marketing materials and ensuring we created the correct launch platform to maximise the potential of Les Mills.”
Since the implementation of Les Mills, Falkirk’s health and fitness performance has exceeded expectations in many ways:
* The group fitness programme has increased over 50 per cent
* Health & fitness income increased over £240k in one financial year
* Membership base increased by over 20 per cent
* 95 per cent of our customers would recommend the leisure trust
Further and future development includes the implementation of further Les Mills programmes over the coming months. Burnet adds: “If you’re reading this and asking yourself, ‘can I do it cheaper myself’, we’d ask you to consider the following questions. Who will sign off your classes from a safety and member experience perspective? How are you going to solve the rights to music issue, as well as training, updates and quality assurance? “Let me put it this way: would you build your own cardio equipment? Les Mills has 30 years’ experience in the business of developing a world class group exercise system, and it’s just as hard!”
For more information and for a FREE timetable review please Email [email protected]
